Micron begins sampling GDDR5X memory chips

New PageMicron begins sampling GDDR5X memory chips

Micron begins sampling GDDR5X memory chips

Micron has started sampling GDDR5X memory chips to customers, offering chips of 1GB and 2GB storage densities which allow GPUs to be built with 8GB or 16GB or VRAM with just a 256-bit memory bus. It has also recently been stated that they have achieved speeds of over 1.5x of GDDR5 at the same power consumption.

GDDR5X uses the proven GDDR5 design and features, with the biggest change being that they have doubles the prefetch size of the chip, allowing it to have double the theoretical speeds/bandwidth.

This effectively gets the memory to carry more data with every clock, similar to how a larger van could move a larger number of items in a single trip. This dramatically increased the bandwidth of GDDR5X, while at the same time using a similar amount of power.

Feature

Benefit

• QDR mode

• Highest data rate in the industry – >13Gbps achieved to date

• VDD/VDDQ 1.35V

• Improved power per bit

• 190-ball FBGA Package, 0.65mm pitch

• Smaller outline – improved electrical performance

The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association have recently published their new GDDR5X graphics memory standard, offering a large increase in memory speed/bandwidth (up to double that of GDDR5).

From what we know about GDDR5X memory we know that it has a very similar memory architecture to currently available GDDR5, with the main change being that the memory has double the pre-fetch from 8 data words per memory access to 16 data words per data access, in theory giving the memory double the theoretical bandwidth while maintaining an architecture that is very similar to GDDR5.

This means that GDDR5X will be very easy to transition to from GDDR5, meaning that it should be adopted very quickly by both AMD and Nvidia for upcoming GPUs, offering an increase in memory bandwidth without increasing overall GPU complexity. With Volume production planned for this summer, GDDR5X may not make it in time to be used in the upcoming generation of AMD or Nvidia GPUs, though both companies have expressed interest in using this new memory type.

"GDDR5X represents a significant leap forward for high end GPU design," said Mian Quddus, JEDEC Board of Directors Chairman. "Its performance improvements over the prior standard will help enable the next generation of graphics and other high-performance applications."

What GDDR5X offers is the ability for GPU makers to easily transition to the new memory standard, as the standard offers a very similar structure and electrics as GDDR5.

So far in the first generation of this memory Micron has increased the memory data rates of GDDR5 from 8Gbps to just over 13Gbps with GDDR5X, with future iterations hoping to surpass 14Gbps mark or even reach its theoretical maximum of 16Gbps.

Micron expects GDDR5X to be able to hit the market in the second half of 2016, just in time for a new generation of GPUs. With supply of HBM and HBM 2.0 memory being very constrained it is likely that some next generation GPUs will need to run on GDDR5 memory, though with the availability of GDDR5X GPUs can still use GDDR memory and not have as large of a bandwidth disadvantage when compared to HBM.

When compared to GDDR5X, HBM and HBM 2.0 still has significant advantages, as it consumes less power, reduces the required PCB space for a GPU and HBM 2 offers a significantly higher amount of bandwidth than GDDR5X.

Most Recent Comments

If no GPU uses 5X this year, I don't see a future for it TBH. With AMD stating next year is all HBM2.0, it means Nvidia will probably be the only one who uses it, unless HBM2.0 for both simply exists at the high end once again(like fury)Quote

If no GPU uses 5X this year, I don't see a future for it TBH. With AMD stating next year is all HBM2.0, it means Nvidia will probably be the only one who uses it, unless HBM2.0 for both simply exists at the high end once again(like fury)

I can't see if it's going to make any difference in sales people will still buy Nvidia over AMD cause some people have the mind set that AMD is cr*p and it's proven in sales.

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